Better Safe Than Sorry – Plane + Pilot

Two days ago I had a flight lesson scheduled in the Cirrus SR20 that I rent from C3 Air for the usual round of practice instrument approaches as I work toward my instrument rating.

The game plan was simple: Fly up to Waco Regional Airport (KACT) and shoot back-to-back approaches at a controlled field.

It’s also worth mentioning that two days before this flight, the Cirrus had just come out of the shop after a routine 50-hour oil change. With that in mind, I’ll admit I was already a little on edge. I think that’s a pretty natural—and appropriate—feeling anytime an airplane comes out of maintenance.

As we departed the pattern on an especially windy day, I noticed a strange sound coming from the engine. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It wasn’t clunking or shaking—nothing dramatic—it just sounded…off. At that point I looked over at my instructor, Abby Rodriguez, and asked if she noticed anything unusual as well.

She did.

After adjusting power and mixture settings and listening a little longer, we both agreed the best call was to head back to Burnet Municipal Airport (KBMQ). Everything on the gauges looked normal, and it didn’t seem like a major issue, but it’s always better to play it safe rather than sorry.

As I started a 180-degree turn back to the south, I called Gray Approach and let them know we were heading back to base. They kindly asked if anything was wrong and whether we needed assistance. I told them no—we were just returning out of an abundance of caution—but I did appreciate the concern.

On the way south, I climbed up to 5,000 feet instead of staying at the 3,500 feet we had been at, just in case anything suddenly went awry. In that moment, I was especially thankful to be flying a Cirrus—with the parachute handle right above my shoulder.

This was the first time I’ve had even the slightest issue with this airplane, and it served as a good reminder: No matter how new, how fancy, or how sophisticated an airplane is, it’s still an airplane. Mechanical things can—and do—happen.

Yes, this sets my training back a few days. But I don’t mind. It’s part of the process, and I’d much rather have the reassurance of the maintenance team than go back up with even a shadow of doubt. It’s just not worth it.

It’s easy in this industry to get caught up in timelines, check rides, peer pressure, and big career goals. But at the end of the day, the rule still stands:

Safe is always better than sorry.